Fast Food Erases the Benefits of a Traditional Asian Diet

Singapore is a remarkably multiethnic society, combining
elements of Chinese, British, Indian, and Indonesian cultures. While the
cuisine is diverse and not always heart healthy, it has traditionally included
plenty of seafood, fruits, and vegetables. But starting in the 1980s fast food
began creeping into the dietary landscape, becoming more and more prevalent
over time.

The Singapore Chinese Health Study is an ongoing investigation
of the health of Singaporeans of Chinese descent. The study, which started in
the 1990s with men and women age 45 through 74, tracks the health of these
individuals over time. Detailed information was obtained regarding fast food,
traditional Chinese food, exercise, and other health habits. A recent
publication in the medical journal Circulation reports on the
researchers’ assessments of over 50,000 people who were monitored for up to 16
years.

Their findings? Eating fast food just twice or more per week increased the
risk of diabetes
by more than 25 percent compared to those who never touched the stuff. Fast
foodies were also more than 50 percent more likely to die from heart disease.
In fact, those who chose to eat fast food four or more times weekly had an 80
percent rise in heart disease deaths. Importantly, the risk was independent of
body weight, exercise, and calorie intake, indicating that the culprit was the
fast food itself.

Exactly why fast food that is so harmful could
not be proven from this study. Most likely, the increased health risks are due to fast food’s toxic
stew of high sodium,
high glycemic load (simple carbs), high saturated fat, and high trans
fats foods.

This is not the first study to suggest a connection between fast
food and poor health, but it is unique in its ability to assess the impact
in a traditionally healthy culture in which fast food is in the process of
taking hold. Your best bet? Switch to a Mediterranean
diet, which will lower your risk for heart disease, stroke, dementia, and
cancer. You’ll feel better, look better, be more productive, and give yourself
the best chance of living longer.

Recommended for You

It has been such a privilege and a terrific learning experience writing this blog for you over the past two years. Thanks to HealthLine.com, I have had the opportunity to share the latest news in heart health and to search for answers to though...

Only a few decades ago, organic farming was associated with the hippie movement and often dismissed as countercultural and radical. In fact, the phrase “organic farming” was coined in the 1930s, when the concept of farming without chemical fert...

High blood pressure, or hypertension, affects one in three Americans. It is a leading cause of strokes and heart attacks, yet in most cases is readily treatable. In September, the Centers for Disease Control launched an innovative new program c...

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs ) include such common medicine cabinet mainstays as ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) and naproxen (Aleve). Many of us pop a pill or two at least a few times a week to relieve headaches, joint pains, and mus...